By Lacoadia Burkes, Acting Bureau Chief, Tobacco Free Florida

(NAPSI)—New Year’s resolutions often focus on health, finances, and fitness, but quitting tobacco might be the one change that unlocks them all. According to recent research, nearly four in five New Year’s goals involve improving health. Other perennial favorites include things like having a better financial outlook and being more active. One thing these and many other self-improvement goals have in common is—quitting tobacco is one of the best and most impactful ways to achieve them.

Connection Between Resolutions and Quitting Smoking

When you quit smoking, your body will start to reward you almost immediately. Within days, your sense of taste and smell improves. Within weeks, your breathing becomes easier, and your circulation improves. And over time your risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer drops significantly.

Financially, the impact is equally dramatic. A pack-a-day smoker in Florida spends over $2,000 a year on cigarettes. Think about what that money could mean for your family—a vacation, a down payment on a car, simply more breathing room in your monthly budget. If saving money is part of your resolution, keep a visual reminder of your goal, like a picture of that dream vacation or new car, in your wallet or on your mirror to stay motivated. Continue reading →

Consulting, thyroid and woman with doctor in hospital for sick, cancer or medical test. Healthcare, medicine and virus with physician and checking throat of patient in clinic for emergency and injury.

(NAPSI)—An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease.¹ During January, recognized as Thyroid Awareness Month, YARAL Pharma is raising awareness of thyroid disease, particularly hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Despite its prevalence, thyroid disease remains widely misunderstood, with many people unaware of its signs and symptoms.

The Role of the Thyroid

The thyroid, a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck, plays a vital role in regulating metabolism, energy levels, and overall hormonal balance. Conditions such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid nodules can significantly impact health and quality of life. However, up to 60% of individuals with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition, often due to a lack of awareness about the signs and symptoms, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment.¹ 

Signs and Symptoms

Thyroid disorders can manifest in various ways, including fatigue, weight changes, mood fluctuations, and cognitive difficulties. These symptoms often resemble common day-to-day ailments, making them easy to overlook. As a result, many patients live with thyroid conditions for years before seeking treatment.  Continue reading →

Adolescents working in volunteer group

(NAPSI)—Here’s something students, parents and teachers in New York and New Jersey may be glad to learn: A group of experts has come up with a way to make environmental education easier for students to understand—and to act on.

This first-of-its-kind effort, called the Environmental Education Initiative (EEI), helps students engage in environment science, and make informed decisions that support healthy environments .

Powered by worldwide edtech leader Discovery Education, the Environmental Education Initiative supports civic engagement with standards-aligned resources that explore contemporary topics in environmental studies.

Who is Involved?

Experts at Stanford University carefully reviewed a body of academic literature over 20 years to measure the effect of environmental education for K-12 students. Then the National Environmental Education Foundation, Nucor, Honeywell, Itron, LyondellBasell, Subaru of America, Inc., and Niagara Cares all helped create the Environmental Education Initiative alongside Discovery Education. Continue reading →

(NewsUSA)  – Artificial intelligence is poised to be a game-changer in managing the increasingly congested and poten-tially contested domain of space, from Earth’s orbit to the Moon and beyond, according to a new podcast from the Spe-cial Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan initiative with a goal of making recommendations to strengthen America’s long-term competitiveness in AI.

At the recent AI + Space Summit hosted by SCSP, General Jay Raymond (U.S. Space Force, Ret.) joined SCSP’s NatSecTech podcast host Jeanne Meserve to discuss the future of space as a warfighting domain. They explore how AI can improve space traffic management, surveillance, acquisition, and data fusion; the growing role of commercial part-nerships; and the need for stronger norms, faster capabilities, and a technically skilled workforce.

Many Eyes in the Sky

Launching satellites or anything else is becoming more complicated because of the volume of objects in the Earth’s orbit, said Gen. Raymond. “You have to make sure you don’t launch something into something else,” he noted. The increased number of satellites and other objects have made the world a more transparent place, as a lot of the current objects in space are intelligence surveillance reconnaissance satellites, he added. Continue reading →

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With freezing temperatures possible, Water Utility Supervisor Butch Goodman reminds all Town of Lady Lake water customers — including apartment communities, medical facilities and commercial properties — to take a few simple steps to protect their plumbing and avoid service interruptions.

Follow the “4 P’s” of cold weather preparation:

Protect your pipes

Cover or insulate any exposed pipes, outdoor fixtures and hose bibs. Unprotected lines can freeze, crack and lead to costly damage and temporary loss of water service.

Pay attention to backflow devices

Backflow preventers are especially vulnerable to freezing if they are not properly insulated or protected. A frozen backflow device can interrupt water service until temperatures rise and may require repairs or replacement. Continue reading →